Heimaey: The Icelandic town frozen in time by a volcano

By Tamara Hinson, for CNN

Updated 3:55 AM ET, Mon July 7, 2014

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Photos:Under the volcano: Iceland's Pompeii

Under the volcano: Iceland's Pompeii – A sign reading "Pompei" points the way to an area destroyed by volcanic eruption on Iceland's Heimaey Island in 1973. The eruption left one person dead and prompted the evacuation of dozens of families.

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Photos:Under the volcano: Iceland's Pompeii

Resilient spirit – Most people displaced by the volcano's 1973 eruption returned to settle closer to Heimaey's main town of Vestmannaeyjar.

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Photos:Under the volcano: Iceland's Pompeii

Preservationists – The Eldheimar museum (meaning "worlds of fire") is built around a cottage that was engulfed in ash. It was discovered after archeological excavations were begun six years ago.

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Photos:Under the volcano: Iceland's Pompeii

Back from extinction – This serene view from Eldfell volcano in Iceland belies the volcano's dramatic history. Eldfell was thought to be extinct before suddenly erupting in 1973.

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Photos:Under the volcano: Iceland's Pompeii

New museum – Inside the excavated house -- which opened to the public in May 2014 -- waterfalls of ash have preserved lampshades, tablecloths and curtains.

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Photos:Under the volcano: Iceland's Pompeii

Ruined homes – The town of Vestmannaeyjar was saved from Eldfell's lava by using sea-water to stop the flow, but not all structures survived.

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Photos:Under the volcano: Iceland's Pompeii

Banks of ash – On boat rides around the Iceland's Heimaey Island, visitors pass towering banks of ash sloping down to the sea.

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Story highlights

Iceland's Heimaey island was evacuated in 1973 when the Eldfell volcano exploded

Houses buried by the volcano have now been excavated and preserved in a new museum

Helga Jonsdottir, who fled the volcano as a child, now runs a cafe on the island

Helga Jonsdottir still remembers in vivid detail the day her island home was swallowed by a volcano as she and her family joined others fleeing the molten lava.

"As my boat left the harbor, the fissure opened up, and flames burst into the sky," she recalls.

"The fissure extended into the ocean, and I could see red-hot lava beneath the water."

Jonsdottir was 18 in January 1973 when the Eldfell volcano exploded on Heimaey, a small island 151 kilometers (94 miles) from the Icelandic capital, Reykjavik.

Her childhood home was among 400 buildings engulfed as 200 million tons of ash and lava rained down in the days following the eruption.

Some of these structures have now emerged, perfectly preserved beneath the volcanic debris following an archaeological excavation begun six years ago.

Worlds of fire

The result is a captivating new museum, Eldheimar, meaning "worlds of fire," which opened its doors in May 2014.

At the museum, visitors can revisit 1973, see a snapshot of life on Heimaey and also get insight into the devastation wreaked by the volcano.

On the fateful night, the island's 5,300 residents were alerted to the eruption by the honking of fire engine horns.

Vestmannaeyjar, in the volcano's shadow.

When they stepped outside their houses, they saw bright red lava exploding from Eldfell and a wall of fire spurting from a fissure snaking across the island.

Only one person died as a result of the eruption.

The vast majority of the islanders were evacuated that night, not returning until months later.

Many of those living on the eastern side came back to find their houses engulfed by lava, while other properties had been completely flattened or buried under mountains of ash.

A few islanders stayed away, but the majority rebuilt their houses closer to Vestmannaeyjar, the 13-square-kilometer (five square miles) island's only town.

Helgafell, a perfect, grass-covered cone, erupted thousands of years ago, spewing so much lava that two islands merged to form Heimaey.

Eldfell, meanwhile, is a jagged, ash-covered reminder of the 1973 eruption, although in places, bright purple lupins sprout from the blackened slopes where locals have planted grass to improve its appearance and prevent erosion.

On boat rides around the island, visitors pass towering banks of ash sloping down to the sea.

In places, the coastline has been imprinted with a semi-geometric pattern, as though someone has transplanted part of Northern Ireland's Giant's Causeway here.

A visit to Vinaminni Kaffihus, a cafe in Vestmannaeyjar run by Jonsdottir, offers fascinating insight into the events of 1973.

Jonsdottir, who returned to Heimaey as a married woman two years after the eruption, opened the cafe as a memorial to the volcano.

Each table tells the story of a different family, with before and after photos and accounts of that fateful night.

Towering banks of ash

Today Jonsdottir, like other islanders, says she's simply grateful for the low death toll, and the fact that the island wasn't destroyed entirely.

"We're just so thankful that we've been allowed to continue living in such a beautiful place," she explains.

"We came so close to this island being uninhabitable."

How to get there

Flights to Heimaey depart Reykjavik's domestic airport, which is a 40-minute drive from Keflavik International Airport. Round-trip fares with Eagle Air start from $359; +354 5624200

Herjolfur ferries sail from Landeyjarhofn to Vestmannaeyjar. Landeyjarhofn is 132 kilometers (82 miles) from Reykjavik, in the south of Iceland. Prices start from $28 each way.

The ferry makes five crossings every day, apart from Tuesday, when there are four crossings; +354 4812800

It's possible to drive to Landeyjarhofn or take the bus from the Bsi bus terminal in Reykjavik.